The Pittsburgh Steelers started the 2026 season with a win in Week 1 as the franchise was able to take down the Atlanta Falcons to start the year on the right foot. The victory left a lot to be desired as the group was only able to win by seven against arguably a far more inferior opponent that was starting the third quarterback on its depth chart. It would have been nice for fans to see Pittsburgh dominate the contest, but a win is a win at this stage of the regular season. Teams are still figuring out what works for them, so getting the win is all that really matters, regardless of what it looks like.
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Steelers' Pat Freiermuth walks the sidelines at Acrisure Stadium before the 2026 season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
It was a good win over the Falcons as it is always important to start the season 1-0, but Pittsburgh looked sloppy at times and struggled to get things going on offense. The main concern offensively should be the running game. Yards on the ground were hard to come by for the Steelers during the win as the offense was only able to put up 58 yards on the ground. Both Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren struggled in that regard, and the passing game was not that much better as Aaron Rodgers completed just 24 of his 40 pass attempts.
The offense scored just one touchdown in the win, and that came on a pass from Rodgers to tight end Pat Freiermuth in the back of the end zone. The tight end spoke to the media after the win, and he spoke about the offensive outlook moving forward.
"You know, obviously we had some plays that we missed opportunities on," Freiermuth said. "Some missed calls. Some dropped balls. That's going to happen in Week 1, and at the end of the day, winning in September is just trying to get it done, and we did that today. No matter what it looks like, as long as you can keep stacking these wins after this. We went against a lot of un-scouted looks today just because it is Week 1, so we'll be alright."
Freiermuth spoke to the importance of just trying to get the win at this stage of the regular season, but it is known that more was expected from the Steelers' offense after the major coaching overhaul that took place during the 2026 offseason. Mike McCarthy took over as head coach and was the first offensive-minded hire at the position that the organization has made in at least 50 years, so the bar is higher than what was shown on Sunday.
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Steelers' Mike McCarthy walks off the playing surface at Acrisure Stadium after his first win as head coach in Pittsburgh.
McCarthy and Rodgers did some special things offensively during their time together with the Green Bay Packers, which is another reason the bar for the offense is so high in 2026. Fans want to see a different approach offensively. The offense in recent years was inconsistent and inefficient, and what was seen against Atlanta was more reminiscent of years past. It is not time to panic just yet as it is only Week 1, and Freiermuth and everyone else involved knows the group is capable of more moving forward.
Steelers Will See More Difficulty On Offense
Freiermuth and other players were optimistic that the offense is going to look better than it did against Atlanta, but the road is only going to get tougher. Opposing teams now have more tape to study when it comes to the group, and the Falcons defense is not touted as some superior unit. Pittsburgh will play plenty of defenses that are better on paper, including the New England Patriots in Week 2.
Hopefully McCarthy and Rodgers continue to improve and Week 1 is the worst the offense will look all year, because if not, it may be a long season for the Steelers. The run game is going to have to get better, which will hopefully allow the passing game to reach its ceiling.
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